Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex.) won approval for her “lift the ban on F-22 export sales” amendment to the House version of the Fiscal 2007 defense appropriations bill. The amendment, which would delete the section that “prohibits funds in the bill from being used to approve or license the sale of the [F-22] advanced tactical fighter to any foreign government,” passed by voice vote. Granger’s district houses Lockheed Martin’s aeronautics division.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.